Electron tube socket



July 3,. 1962 I D. D. CHIN ET AL 3,042,893

ELECTRON TUBE SOCKET I Filed June 8, 1959 IIII IIIIII II! I I l I I IIIIIIIIP'Z III? II I II INVENTORS. DA D. CHIN LL P. GH/SELL I IIII I I IIIIIIII ATTORNEYS States ate 3,042,893 ELECTRON TUBE SOCKET David Don Chin, San Francisco, and Lloyd P. Grisell, Miiihrae, Califi, assignors to Eitel-McCullough, Inc., San Bruno, Califi, a corporation of California Filed Jame 8, 195.9, Ser. No. 818,703 4 Claims. (Cl. 339112) This invention relates generally to electron tube sockets and more particularly to electron tube sockets adapted to enable efficient cooling of the electron tube inserted there- 1n.

In the co-pending application of Jack A. McCullough, George F. Wunderlich and Paul D. Williams, Patent No. 2,952,789, issued September 13, 1960, and assigned to the assignee of this application, there is described an improved electron tube which has an envelope structure comprising ceramic and metallic rings assembled in a stacked relationship, the metal rings functioning both as electrode supports and as terminal members having radially extending tabs.

In the aforementioned patent, there is also described a socket which has contacts complementary to those on the tube so that the tube may be inserted into the socket and rotated to bring the terminal tabs into engagement with the contacts.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved socket for an electron tube of the type described in the above-mentioned patent.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a tube socket adapted to abut the external cooler on the electron tube to provide improved positioning of the tube during insertion into the socket and improved cooling of the tube during operation.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved tube socket of the type described in the abovementioned patent providing increased axial air flow around the contact fingers of the tube and socket.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved open-ended cylindrical tube socket for a pressurized chassis in which the pressurized air from the chassis is conducted through the socket and the external cooler on the tube.

The improved socket has a cylindrical shell with an inner diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the external cooler on the electron tube to be inserted therein. The shell comprises alternate insulating rings and metallic rings with contact fingers, extending inwardly. The fingers are spaced around the socket so that air passage channels are formed therebetween and so that the tube terminal tabs pass between the contact fingers as the tube is inserted axially into the socket. When the tube is fully inserted, the cooler on thetube abuts the shell to position the tabs with respect to the socket so that a twist of the tube will cause the tube terminal tabs to engage the contact fingers. The contact fingers have a novel shape whereby they allow the tube to be rotated in one direction only, grip the tube terminal tabs and prevent further rotation of the tube once the tabs and contact fingers are fully engaged.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the invention. It is to be understood, of course, that the invention is not to be limited to the following disclosure of a particular embodiment of the invention, as other embodiments thereof may be adopted within the scope of the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view in elevation of the tube socket with a tube inserted therein;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the tube socket taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 with the tube removed;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional elevation of the tube socket taken on line 44 of FIGURE 3 with the tube shown in elevation and partially broken away to show the novel features of the contact fingers on the tube socket.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, in FIGURE 1 is shown an electron tube 10 inserted in a socket 11 according to this invention. The tube has an external anode cooler 12 and an anode terminal 14 on top of the cooler 12. The socket 11 is cylindrical in form and is made up of a stacked series of coaxial insulating rings 16. Between each adjacent pair of insulating rings 16 is inserted a pair of flat metallic rings 18 and 18'. Between the ex ternal cooler 12 on the tube 10 and the remainder of the socket 11 is a coaxial tubular insulating member 20. Between member Zil and the adjacent insulating ring 16 is a mounting flange 21. Axially parallel bolts 22 and nuts 23 fasten the socket together.

Referring'to FIGURE 2, there is shown the socket 11 in plan view with the tube 10 removed. In this embodiment six contact fingers 24, which are part of the metallic ring 18, are shown protruding inwardly. The contact fingers 24' of the other metallic ring 18' of the pair, and the contact fingers of the other rings, are all disposed in line with each of the six contact fingers shown. The member 20 and each of the insulating rings 16 have inwardly extending protrusions 26 which help rigidity the contact fingers 24 and 24 and form channels 28 therebetween. The bolts 22 which fasten the socket are fitted in axially parallel aligned bores formed in the protrusions 26 and contact fingers 24 and 24'.

FIGURE 3 shows a plan View of the socket with the tube 10 inserted into the socket. The cylindrical base 30 of the tube 10 is shown coaxial in the tube socket 11. Cooling fins 32 disposed in the cooler 12 can be seen through the channels 28. The socket 11 is connected into a circuit by contact tabs 34 which extend externally of the socket 11 and are fixed to the metallic rings 18. In this embodiment two contact tabs 34, which are disposed opposite each other, project from each metallic ring 18.

Terminal tabs 36 on the tube 10 are aligned in rows which are parallel to the tube axis. Therefore, since the contact fingers of the socket are also disposed in axial parallel rows, the terminal tabs 36 can be caused to engage or disengage the contact fingers 24 and 24' by a twist of the tube in the socket, as will be explained more fully hereinafter.

FIGURE 4 shows the socket 11 in cross-section with the tube 10 inserted into place. The tube is broken away to more clearly show the tips 38 of the pairs of contact fingers 24 and 24' which receive the tube terminal tabs 36 between them. The pairs of contact fingers 24 and 24' have turned flanges 40 on one edge extending in opposite directions to form V-guide, as shown. The V-guides are disposed congruently on each pair of contact fingers (i.e., are on the same side of the contact finger tips 38) so that they guide each terminal tab 36 between the. pairs of contact fingers 24 and 24. The tips 38 of the contact fingers 24 on ring 18 have a flange 42, disposed on the opposite edge from flange 40, which flange 42 folds towards the contact finger 24' on ring 18' and which serves as a tube stop to prevent fruther rotation of the tube.

In operation, the socket 11 is mounted on a chassis (not shown) with the tubular member 20 projecting out of the chassis and with the necessary electrical leads connected to tabs 34-. Tube 10 is inserted into the socket with its tabs 36 sliding within channels 28. When the cooler 12 abuts against the tubular member 20, the tube is fully inserted; that is, each plane in which six terminal tabs 36 that are disposed on one metal ring of the tube is co-planar with the plane of the six pairs of contact fingers 3 24 and 24 formed on a pair of abutting metallic rings 18 and 18'. The tube and socket are coaxial, and no additional centering means are necessary. As stated before, the tube is .then given a clockwise rotation and each tab 36 makes a wiping action as it goes between a pair of contact fingers 24. and- 24; Flanges 40 on. the contact fingersfurtherguidethe tube terminal tabs 36 into place.

When. thetube terminal :tabs are fully inserted between the contact fingers, flanges 42 prevent further rotation of the; tube. Complete electrical contact to each tube terminal,-tab 36-isinsured by. spring tension in the fingers 24' and-;24',iwhich are biased to urge them toward each other.

Thewiping action between thetube tabs 36 and the con-.

. socket .11 is used with apressurized chassis, large volumes otair. willflow through each of; the channels 28, cooling thebasefit) of the tube and also. external cooler 12;

Cooling the base 30 removes heatfrom; the tube grids.

The cooler 12 removes heat from the anode of the tube.

Sinceone does not intentionally cool thecathode, the

tube 10. is, of course, built with heat dams which prevent excessive cathode cooling.

We claim:

1. A socket-tor an electron tube, said socket comprising a series of insulating-rings stacked alternately. with pairs ofabutting separate metallic rings, each of said metallic rings having inwardly protruding contactfingers, saidicontact finger on'each' pair of metallic rings being a-ligned in paired abutting relation and the contact fingers ofeach a pair of contact rings beingaligned with the contact fingers of-e'ach other pair of contact rings to formrows of contact fingers parallel to the axis of the socket, the contact fingers ofeach of said pairs of fingers having a turned flange on an edge thereof to-form a V-guide entrance edge, one of said contact fingers on said pairs of contact fingers having a second fiange on the edge opposite said entrance edge, said second flange being folded toward the other of said contact'fingers' in. said pair forming a stop.

' 2. A socket for an electron'tube, said socket-comprising a series of insulating rings stacked one over the other alternately with metaallic contact rings, circumferentially, spaced contact fingers projecting radially inwardly from each of said ,contact rings, the contact fingers of: each contactring being aligned with the contact fingers ,of each other contact ring to form. circumferentially spaced rows of contact fingers parallelto the axis of the socket, a

tubular conduit structure open at each end and projecting from one end of said stack of rings coaxially with the rings, means for fastening together said conduit structure and said series of insulating and contact rings, the axial distancebetween' the last contact. ring at said one end of thestack. and the distal end. offsaidconduit. structure being greater-than the axial thickness of -any of the insulating rings sandwiched between said contact rings, the inside,

diameter of. all of said insulating ringsand contact rings a and' conduit. structure being in the, area between said rows substantially greater than the diameter of a circle con necting the inner edges of said inwardly projecting contact'fingers, said socket being, completely open at both ends, and said contact fingers having axially extending stop portions adjacent their right edges as viewed clockwise from said one end of the socket.

3. A socket for an electron tube, said socket comprising a plurality of metallic contact rings, insulating ring between said contact rings, all of said contact and insulating rings being stacked coaxially one over the other, circumferentially spaced contact fingers projecting radially inwardly from each of said contact rings, the contact fingers of each contact ring being aligned with the contact fingers of each other ring to form circumferentially spaced rows ofcontact fingers parallel to the axis of the socket, another insulating ring stacked coaxially on the end contact ring adjacent one end of.the socket, a metal mounting ring stacked coaxially on said other insulating ring, a tubular conduitstacked on said mounting ring, said mounting ring projecting outwardly from, the outside surface of said socket to provide amounting rim, the inside diameter of all of said insulating rings and con-tact rings and mounting ring and conduit being in the area between said rows substantially greater. than the diameter of a circle connecting the inner edges of said inwardly projecting contact fingers, and said. socket being open at both ends to permit the fiow of cooling air therethrough.

4; Electron tube apparatus comprising an electron tube and a socket, said tube comprising a cooler at one end including circumferentially spaced cooling fins, and circumferentially spaced terminaltabsprojecting outwardly along the other end of said tube, said tabs being arranged in axially spaced planeswith the tabs in each plane jecting radially. inwardly fiom each of said contact rings,

the contact fingers of each contact ring being aligned with the contact fingers of each. other contact ring to form circumferentially spaced rows of contact fingers, a tubular conduit structure attachedto one end of said series of rings, the inside diameter of said conduit structure'being less than. the outside diameter of said cooler whereby said cooler will. abut said; conduit structure when said other end of said tube is inserted axially through the,conduitend of the'socket, andthe distance between each said-plane. of contact tabs; and the near end of said cooler being substantiallythe same as the distance between one of said rings. of contact tabs. and the remote end of said conduitstructure, whereby when said tube is inserted in said socket with said cooler abutting said conduit structure the tube can be rotated to bring said terminal tabs into contactwith said contact fingers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,251,618 Bahls-et a1. Jan. 1, 1918 2,006,155 Blake June 25, 1935 2,405,554 Barbour Aug. 13, 1946 2,522,836 Nergaard Sept. 19, 1950 2,694,554 Lameshka Nov. 16, 1954 2,879,977 Trought Mar. 31, 1959 2,891,231 Gregson et a1 June 16, 1959 2,952,769 Eitel etal. Sept. 13, 1960 

